diff --git a/components/gfx/display_list/mod.rs b/components/gfx/display_list/mod.rs
index 5865b36a20a..17e8c8171bf 100644
--- a/components/gfx/display_list/mod.rs
+++ b/components/gfx/display_list/mod.rs
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ pub struct StackingContext {
 
     /// The layer for this stacking context, if there is one.
     #[ignore_heap_size_of = "FIXME(njn): should measure this at some point"]
-    pub layer: Option<Arc<PaintLayer>>,
+    pub layer: Option<PaintLayer>,
 
     /// The position and size of this stacking context.
     pub bounds: Rect<Au>,
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ impl StackingContext {
                z_index: i32,
                filters: filter::T,
                blend_mode: mix_blend_mode::T,
-               layer: Option<Arc<PaintLayer>>,
+               layer: Option<PaintLayer>,
                transform: Matrix4,
                perspective: Matrix4,
                establishes_3d_context: bool)
diff --git a/components/layout/display_list_builder.rs b/components/layout/display_list_builder.rs
index 9569947da13..c56d68b7acb 100644
--- a/components/layout/display_list_builder.rs
+++ b/components/layout/display_list_builder.rs
@@ -1255,7 +1255,6 @@ impl FragmentDisplayListBuilding for Fragment {
         }
 
         let transform_style = self.style().get_used_transform_style();
-        let layer = layer.map(|l| Arc::new(l));
 
         Arc::new(StackingContext::new(display_list,
                                       &border_box,
diff --git a/components/layout/layout_task.rs b/components/layout/layout_task.rs
index e9a644105b2..a2dc0d8d6bf 100644
--- a/components/layout/layout_task.rs
+++ b/components/layout/layout_task.rs
@@ -1072,9 +1072,9 @@ impl LayoutTask {
                 let mut display_list = box DisplayList::new();
                 flow::mut_base(&mut **layout_root).display_list_building_result
                                                   .add_to(&mut *display_list);
-                let paint_layer = Arc::new(PaintLayer::new(layout_root.layer_id(0),
-                                                           root_background_color,
-                                                           ScrollPolicy::Scrollable));
+                let paint_layer = PaintLayer::new(layout_root.layer_id(0),
+                                                  root_background_color,
+                                                  ScrollPolicy::Scrollable);
                 let origin = Rect::new(Point2D::new(Au(0), Au(0)), root_size);
 
                 let stacking_context = Arc::new(StackingContext::new(display_list,